1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of detecting noise contained in a moving picture, and an image processing method for use in the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatuses, such as digital TV receivers, employ various methods for detecting noise contained in moving pictures.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-346228, for example, discloses a technique for computing the absolute value of the difference between the values of each pair of corresponding portions of continuous fields or frames included in a video signal, thereby accumulating a predetermined number of absolute values to extract a value corresponding to noise.
Further, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2-233089 discloses a technique for acquiring the difference between image signals, squaring the difference, averaging the result and acquiring the square root of the average, thereby detecting random noise containing no fixed pattern noise.
However, in the conventional techniques, noise detection is influenced by a change in picture between frames, with the result that accurate noise detection cannot be achieved.
Under the circumstances, there is a demand for a technique for accurately detecting noise contained in a moving picture signal.